An engine fuel pump may be mounted to a pump pedestal secured to a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. In order to reduce vibration and minimize fuel leakage, the fuel pump may be mounted to the pump pedestal using sealing gaskets and a plurality of fasteners. The pump pedestal may be adequately secured to the cylinder head, to minimize movement of the pedestal and pump assembly during engine operation.
One example approach of mounting a fuel pump to a cylinder head is shown by Kunde et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,518. Therein, the fuel pump is mounted to a cylinder holder using a mounting plate, an external gasket and a cylinder head cover having an opening to receive a lower portion of the pump. The fuel pump is secured to the cylinder holder via a plurality of fasteners extended through thread bores in the holder.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such a system. As an example, the mounting plate used in conjunction with the external gasket may introduce additional assembly complexity. Further, the external gasket positioned between the mounting plate and cylinder holder, may cause leakage if not adequately installed. In addition, the external gasket may be exposed to increased wear and tear, which may decrease lifespan of the gasket.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a system comprising: an engine fuel pump mounted directly to a cylinder head cap positioned underneath a cam cover, the cap including a raised portion having a first and a second cap mounting boss, and a main opening for directly receiving the fuel pump, wherein each of the first and second cap mounting bosses couple to a flange formed on a bottom portion of the fuel pump. In this way, the fuel pump may be directly mounted to the cylinder head cap to reduce assembly complexity while minimizing fuel leakage from the pump assembly.
As an example, the flange of the fuel pump may be directly mounted to the raised portion of the cylinder head cap, and secured using a plurality of fasteners extended through each of the first and second cap mounting bosses. In one example, the raised portion of the cylinder head cap may include a recessed slot to receive a press-in-place (PIP) gasket. In an alternative example, the press-in-place (PIP) gasket may be positioned in a recessed groove formed in an interior region of the cam cover. The cam cover may be configured with an enclosure that fits the raised portion of the cylinder head cap and supports the flange of the fuel pump. In this case, directly mounting the fuel pump to the cylinder head cap may confer several advantages. For example, a portion of the press-in-place (PIP) gasket may be secured inside the recessed slot on cylinder head cap or the recessed groove in the cam cover to minimize slippage of the gasket, and to provide a tight seal between the fuel pump, cap and cam cover. By directly mounting the fuel pump to the cylinder head cap, pump assembly may be simplified to minimize fuel leakage while reducing vibration of the assembly.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.